


Excelsior;

by bloodymariner



Category: Raven Cycle - Maggie Stiefvater
Genre: Fluff and Angst, M/M, mentions of ronan lynch
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-13
Updated: 2015-11-13
Packaged: 2018-05-01 09:19:47
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,418
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5200487
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bloodymariner/pseuds/bloodymariner
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>inspired by http://falloutczerny.tumblr.com/post/132671299827/yes-but-picture-gansey-teaching-adam-how-to-dance</p>
            </blockquote>





	Excelsior;

“Oh I’m sorry, I think I’ve finally gone deaf in both ears,” Adam says wryly as Gansey looks at him exasperatedly.

“Adam please, it won’t be that bad,” Gansey tries to reason with him but Adam huffs and sinks further back into the worn passenger seat of the Pig. Gansey sighs and says, “You only need to do it once and then we can step back.”. Adam’s nose crinkles. He tries once more and reasons, “You know, people won’t even notice if you mess up, you don’t have to-”

Adam glares at Gansey and immediately he knew he has said something wrong. Adam’s voice is dangerously quiet when he speaks, “I’m tired of pretending for them Gansey. You’ve never had to feel that so you don’t get to tell me that if people see my mistakes they move on.”

Gansey blinks numbly. Somehow this has moved past just a dance for one of Gansey’s mother’s political banquets. Of course he didn’t get it. He wasn’t Adam. Charming Adam who put on a fake smile more convincing than his, angry Adam with fire in his bones, gentle Adam with compassion in his soul, mysterious Adam who had Cabeswater in his veins, his heart, bold Adam who would do anything to prove himself, only he didn’t have to did he?

Gansey tries to pick his next words carefully but he ends up blurting out, “I want to dance with you Adam. I want you to dance with me,” ‘Idiot,’ he whispers in his mind as the anger visually melts off of Adam’s face and morphed into simple confusion.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Adam asks bluntly. Impossibly, Gansey’s face feels even hotter but he manages to find his composure.

“I mean, I’m not asking you because I think you’ll meet someone important or because I want you to have to act like you’re not from around here,” Gansey says, and quickly elaborates, “Because you don’t have to act! Not around me, at least. I...I want you to come because you’re my friend, that’s all there is.”

Adam looks slightly taken aback. “I didn’t realize...I mean, if you wanted someone to come why not Ronan?” Gansey pretends not to notice how Adam’s ears tinge pink when he mentioned Ronan’s name.

Gansey has no answer except for a hushed, “You’re different.”

Adam almost feels strange about it. Almost. Then he gets out of the car and starts walking to Monmouth’s half-open door. “If you’re gonna teach me how to dance, you’d better do it quick. I have a night shift at the mechanic’s,” he calls behind his shoulder. Gansey grins widely before stepping inside behind Adam, close enough to touch his shoulder, but somehow not close enough. Adam Parrish is not unknowable. Adam Parrish is human.

Gansey fiddles with his phone to find the right music while Adam carefully places his jacket on the couch. “Are we alone?” Adam inquires, his voice filling the room.

“Just us,” Gansey affirms. He walks over as the opening bars of a waltz sound throughout the space. Suddenly they’re too close and Gansey’s soft hands grasp on Adam’s lean frame, one hand resting on his shoulder and the other square on his waist. Gansey hesitates and starts to step back but Adam shakes his head and says, “It’s fine. Let’s do this.”  
Gansey suppresses a smile and nods, taking Adam’s left hand in his right. There’s sunlight streaming in streaks across Adam’s face, he doesn’t know how beautiful he looks as he stares down at his feet. Gansey takes the lead and slowly whispers a beat of one, two, three.

One, Adam smells like lavender soap and earth and something familiar, something that can only be described as Cabeswater. Adam Parrish who is unlike anyone or anything Gansey has ever encountered, he makes his own mark on the world in whatever way he chooses.

Two, Adam whose feet are half a beat behind his but determined and only stumble a little. Adam whose hands are strong and calloused and warm. Adam whose hands don’t waver, one hand between his shoulderblades and the other clasped with his, although Gansey feels like spinning Adam, graceful Adam, into his arms.

Three, Adam who leans in closer to him as they waltz around the empty room. Gansey couldn’t comprehend anything other than Adam being so close to him, so close that he could feel his slow breaths.

The beat is constant and Adam finds himself unable to look away from this boy, someone he never thought would become a friend, an ally, someone who really cared about him.  
One, Gansey’s left hand dips unsurely from Adam’s waist to Adam’s lower back and Adam’s mind reels at the realization that he’s so vulnerable here, so open, but Gansey would never hurt him, not purposely.

Two, Gansey’s lips part and Adam can’t see anything except his dark hair and even tan skin and the flecks of gold in his deep green eyes and his thick dark eyelashes. Adam wonders how they don’t get tangled together before absentmindedly realizing that he’s staring.

Three, Gansey tries to continue whispering dance instructions in Adam’s ear and it takes a great deal of self-control for Adam not to smile as Gansey gently spins him out and back into his arms, arms that dip him a bit before pulling him back up. Adam’s eyes widen in wonder as Gansey stops dancing, pulling him back up closer than ever, their torsos pressed together and arms linked. Adam thinks Gansey smells like expensive cologne and the Henrietta mountains, something that sounds off but feels so right, so Gansey, that he doesn’t care.

Gansey swallows thickly and Adam can’t look him in the eye. He stares at his Adam’s apple instead, watching it bob up and down as Gansey obviously tries to say something. Not much better. He pulls his gaze back up and Gansey’s right there, his lips, he wonders if they feel as soft as they look, his hands, already a comforting weight against Adam’s body. Gansey meets Adam’s eyes, so uncertain about this, whatever this is, that he almost stops what he’s about to do. Almost.

Adam gets his answer very quickly because yes, Gansey’s lips are as soft as they look and they taste like vanilla chapstick. Gansey’s right hand brushes up to the back of Adam’s neck, making him shiver and lean into him. 

Gansey starts to pull back, already rehearsing what he’s going to say to Adam, when Adam murmurs “No wait,” against his lips and pulls him back into a searing kiss. Gansey’s mind reels as Adam presses closer to him, his hands grasping the shorter hairs near the base of his neck. Gansey lets out a soft gasp as Adam bites his lower lip, and they’re both gone. They aren’t Gansey and Adam anymore, just two people kissing inside a warehouse as the sun sets on their skin.

Adam pulls away slowly this time, marveling at how tousled Gansey’s hair looks and how pink his lips look. Gansey seems speechless so Adam says something for him, “I guess this means I’m dancing with you at the benefit.” Gansey can’t help it. He starts laughing and Adam nearly melts back into his arms, Gansey’s laugh is the stuff of imagination. Adam starts giggling at first, but he falls into full hysterics when he sees Gansey double over in silent laughter.

“What...what is it?” Adam chokes out between breaths, he has to sit down he’s laughing too hard. Gansey’s smiles at him fondly and pecks his cheek, his eyes crinkling as he’s Gansey again, smiling at Adam, brave Adam, serious Adam, frightening Adam, caring Adam.

“It feels right,” Gansey says finally, resting his head on Adam’s shoulder, looking up at the ceiling. “This feels right Adam.” 

“I know,” Adam replies simply, but then he’s himself again and he won’t say it out loud but he’s afraid of getting hurt, especially by Gansey, powerful Gansey, inspiring Gansey, complex Gansey.

Gansey can see right through him. Adam can see him purse his lips and glance at him and for a moment Adam thinks he’ll do something stupid like kiss him again. Instead he asks, “So where do we go from here?”

Gansey looks at him for a moment and a small smile spreads on his face, a smile that looks a little mischievous, like he’s about to share a secret. “Excelsior,” he says uncomplicatedly and laughs quietly.

Adam can do nothing but agree.

**Author's Note:**

> ahhhh this ending is not too good but i hope you like it! kudos if you enjoyed please :) i'm on tumblr at ghost-percy as well


End file.
